Chapter 13

The break-even point of a movie refers to the point at which the movie's revenue equals its costs. In simpler terms, it means that at this point, your costs have been recovered, and every additional cent is profit.

TUBE Entertainment is a small film company that was established not long ago. It is one of the many small players that emerged in the wave of domestic film production following the Korean film "Shiri." Unlike major studios like CJ Entertainment, which have the backing of large conglomerates, every cent is precious to TUBE Entertainment.

This gave Lee Jung-hui an opportunity, which is why he had Jang Dong-gun propose a more daring wager.

Of course, this was not a blind move. What others saw as a high-risk proposal was, to him, a high-profit venture. This was because, as a reward from the system, he could see more detailed information about "The Curse."

For example, the investment in "The Curse" was 20.5 billion won, with a break-even point of 700,000 admissions. In the end, the film's box office reached 1,065,292 admissions (in Korea, box office figures are typically reported in terms of admissions).

Thus, according to his proposal, and with an average ticket price of 7,000 won, his share of the profits would be close to 400 million won, not including other copyright revenues.

TUBE Entertainment was unaware of all this and seemed unable to refuse Lee Jung-hui's proposal. After all, "The Curse" was their first investment and production, and it would be best to minimize costs and reduce risks as much as possible.

Of course, Gao Zuodong did not immediately agree but said he would discuss it with the others in the company and give him an answer within three days.

After saying goodbye and heading downstairs, Jang Dong-gun left to handle the company registration. Kim Tae-hee, who had been playing the role of a well-behaved girl upstairs, finally returned to her usual self. She turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with curiosity, "I didn't expect you to write a horror script. Really, um, evil, very bad...!" She pouted to show her disgust and disdain.

Lee Jung-hui laughed, "It's just a script, what does it have to do with my character!" He then recalled that perhaps Gao Zuodong and Ahn Byung-ki had discussed the script in such detail because they were concerned about his sudden shift from writing a romance to a horror script. Fortunately, he had performed well.

"The script is a reflection of your thoughts, doesn't that prove you're evil?" Kim Tae-hee started to argue with him, and Lee Jung-hui also felt playful, so he exaggerated his actions, baring his teeth and making a scary face.

"Ah!" Kim Tae-hee screamed, glaring at him angrily. As she instinctively hit him, she also stepped back, but the street was right behind her, and there were many cars...

"Be careful," Lee Jung-hui quickly grabbed her. Kim Tae-hee also realized the danger and, startled, instinctively clung to his clothes and leaned into his chest.

It was a natural reaction, and it also showed her trust in Lee Jung-hui. However, the next moment, Kim Tae-hee felt a bit embarrassed, her face turning slightly red, even though hugging this rascal made her feel quite secure.

In her two lifetimes, she rarely showed such shyness. Lee Jung-hui smiled inwardly but didn't show it, instead, he patted her back calmly and said softly, "It's okay, nothing to worry about!"

"Uh!" Kim Tae-hee still felt a bit guilty and didn't dare to look at him. She smoothed her hair and subtly moved away, but still held onto his shirt. She then looked around aimlessly to avoid showing her nervousness to this guy.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she focused on a cinema nearby. She seemed to regain all her energy and turned to Lee Jung-hui, ordering him without hesitation, "Hey, rascal, I want to watch a movie, you treat me!"

In less than ten seconds, she had transformed, but she wasn't usually like this. Lee Jung-hui rolled his eyes in his mind and then chuckled, teasing her, "Why, why should I treat you...?"

"Then give me my salary!" Kim Tae-hee stretched out her hand, clearly annoyed.

"What salary?" Lee Jung-hui feigned surprise and protested, "Please, Kim Tae-hee, you've been following me these days on your own, I didn't ask you to!"

"Ah!" Kim Tae-hee was furious, her cheeks puffed up, and she clenched her fists to hit him. Lee Jung-hui laughed and ran away, heading towards the cinema. When he reached it, he caught her hand and laughed, "Okay, okay, I'll treat you!"

"Hmph!" Kim Tae-hee looked at him with a hint of satisfaction but then asked, "What kind of movie do you like?"

Lee Jung-hui didn't think much and replied, "Whatever you like, I'll watch it too!"

He really didn't mind, but Kim Tae-hee was taken aback and glanced at him. When he turned to look at her, she quickly turned away and pointed to the poster of a movie at the cinema, then smiled slyly, "Let's watch all of them, you have nothing to do this afternoon, right?"

Seeing his stunned expression, she giggled with delight, her smile bright and beautiful, truly captivating!

Although since "Shiri" last year, Koreans have started to change their habit of only watching foreign films, and Korean cinema has entered a prosperous period that would last for over a decade, it had been less than a year since then, and the Korean film industry had not made much progress. Foreign films still dominated the cinemas.

The popular films now included Bruce Willis's "The Sixth Sense," Pierce Brosnan's "The World Is Not Enough," Tom Hanks' "The Green Mile," and the animated film "Toy Story 2."

Sitting in the cinema, Kim Tae-hee enjoyed her popcorn, her eyes glued to the screen. "The Sixth Sense" was undoubtedly an excellent film in terms of both plot and production. The only regret was that Bruce Willis was not suitable for this type of drama; he was better at action roles, and his acting was not great.

Lee Jung-hui had seen it before, and now, revisiting it, he viewed it more from a professional perspective, analyzing the script, cinematography, props, lighting, costumes, makeup, acting, editing, and music.

Gradually, his thoughts began to broaden. From this film, he could see the maturity and sophistication of the American film industry. Not only did it have a vast domestic market, but it also expanded globally through cultural exports, subtly making people accept and recognize American film culture.

But what about Korea? Its film market was just starting, and for Lee Jung-hui, this was an opportunity. However, the market was limited, and the cultural differences posed significant barriers to expanding globally.

If it were the Lee Jung-hui from his previous life, he would have been content just to establish himself in the Korean entertainment industry. But for the Lee Jung-hui now burdened with the deadly game, he had to go global. Only by doing so could he achieve higher honors and save his life.

He even had to break free from the game!

The good news was that he was American, and he had no language barriers. Perhaps the only thing he lacked was an opportunity, and he seemed to have planted the seed for that opportunity...

Suddenly, Kim Tae-hee grabbed his shirt, pulling him out of his thoughts. When a ghost appeared on the screen, accompanied by screams and gasps from the audience, Kim Tae-hee was so scared that she buried her face in his shoulder, even giving him a couple of punches, as if he were the cause.

Lee Jung-hui was speechless. The ghost in the film wasn't that scary, but he enjoyed her dependence and patted her back, saying softly, "It's okay, nothing to worry about. It's mostly just the lighting and music, ghosts aren't scary..."

"That's still disgusting!" Kim Tae-hee mumbled, finally lifting her head.

Lee Jung-hui smiled, his mind still on his earlier thoughts. Looking into her bright eyes in the dim light, he suddenly felt moved and said, "What do you think about us going to America to make movies in the future?"

"Ah!" Kim Tae-hee was taken aback. Perhaps because of the dim light in the cinema, she wasn't as shy as usual and remained half-lying on his shoulder, leaning closer to him, and asked softly, "What did you say?"

The faint scent of her perfume and hair was intoxicating, and Lee Jung-hui couldn't help but lower his head, almost close enough to feel her breath.

Kim Tae-hee's heart was pounding, almost jumping out of her chest. She screamed in her mind, "What are you trying to do, rascal?" but she had no strength to move, mesmerized by his star-like eyes, feeling an irresistible urge to lean in.

But then, she heard Lee Jung-hui's voice, "I said, let's go to America to make movies in the future, and you can be the lead actress..."

"Cheater!" Kim Tae-hee suddenly came to her senses, feeling a deep sense of disappointment. She hit Lee Jung-hui with a mix of anger and embarrassment.

However, as she glanced at his bright eyes in the dim light, her heart raced again, feeling that it wasn't over yet, but she had no courage left.

She quickly turned her head away, screaming in her mind, "Crazy, crazy, what's wrong with me!" As the movie was about to end, she feared that if the lights came on and he saw her blushing and fiery eyes, she would be doomed.

So, she quickly stood up and said, "I'm going to the restroom," and fled without waiting for Lee Jung-hui's response...

PS: Requesting recommendations and favorites on Monday. Thank you for your support!